| Author | Message | ||
     Ferris_von_bueller |
http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/2015-Ninja-H2R | ||
| Sifo |
OK, they got my attention... | ||
| Fresnobuell |
sick. 300HP. Not sure about the looks, tho. Hope it is at the Long Beach IMS this year. | ||
| Torquehd |
I had no idea Kawi had an aerospace division. | ||
| Froggy |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kawasaki_Heavy_Indust ries Missiles, nuclear power equipment, planes, robots, motorcycles. If it exists, they build it. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
This is how I'd hoped Buell might have built an S1 at some point. Rocket in England | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Buell wasn't going to do it with a Harley motor. The closest they got was the turbo XB and Harley killed that project. | ||
| Slaughter |
Kawasaki started in locomotives. They do aircraft, locomotives, ships... google them and be surprised. Built a model of the Kawasaki "Tony" - many years ago. Nice lines - kinda Japanese P51-and ME109 like.  | ||
| Slaughter |
THE H2R - make no mistake (nice DuHamel replica) | ||
| Slaughter |
The man himself... guessing 72-74?:  | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Buell wasn't going to do it with a Harley motor. I wasn't meaning outright performance. I don't see outright performance when I look at this Kawasaki. I see excellence and great attention to detail resulting in a very high end quality product. That is how Buell should have built at the very least some special edition S1's. You know, a bit like Buell does it Bimota like. Yes I'm selfish in this. And Buell did 'experiment' with a turbo S1. There was a story hinted at around here years ago of a factory test pilot riding it at some ridiculous speed caught by the police. Court might tell you someday  Rocket in England | ||
| Rick_a |
It looks like the offspring of a KTM RC8 and ZX-10R. | ||
| Crusty |
I wasn't meaning outright performance. I don't see outright performance when I look at this Kawasaki. I see excellence and great attention to detail resulting in a very high end quality product. That is how Buell should have built at the very least some special edition S1's. You know, a bit like Buell does it Bimota like. Yes I'm selfish in this. EBR did. It called the 1190 RS. Have you looked at one up close? That Kumensukmi is part function and a big part styling. A razor blade is aerodynamic, too; but not as aerodynamic as a raindrop. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!" | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
I was actually talking from the time when Buells were Buells. In particular the S1's. Why I said I'm selfish. Have I looked at an EBR up close? When one arrives in UK do let me know. More chance of seeing this Kwak first me thinks. Do I need to see one up close to know what I mean? Nope. The obviousness is startling. The Kawasaki harbours its wares around a tube frame. EBR's around a twin spar alloy beam frame. The wares of both manufacturers appear startlingly different also, starting with their powerplants and how they're fed. The Kawasaki is an across the frame multi four with sophisticated forced induction. The EBR a longitudinal V twin with advanced f.i. The Kawasaki a s.s swingarm with Uniplanar suspension. EBR conventional swingarm with offset monoshock. Contemporary aerodynamic bodywork wraps the Kawasaki. EBR conventional styled bodywork. What the EBR has is no doubt brilliant, but it is constrained by funding. What the Kawasaki has is a no expense spared approach to all of its parts, completing a sophisticated motorcycle rather than an EBR's minimalist approach to get the best out of less components. Neither way is necessarily better than the other, but one is dripping in design and technology, the other dressed minimalistically to get the best out of less. The Kawasaki is contemporary, fresh, dynamically advanced. The EBR is dated, been around the block, simplistic in its approach. I doubt neither is a bad motorcycle in any sense, but this is Kawasaki shifting their own goal posts, and maybe other Japanese manufacturers might follow. It is another level after all. EBR appear to languish with Hero at their disposal despite their commitment to top flight racing with their effort. It remains to be seen if the golden Hero ticket for Buell will ever get him to the level Kawasaki show here. Not that it matters, but the Hastur appeared to be a step in the right direction. Once again Buell has failed to pick up the baton and run with it. A repetitive story over the years. Hastur has not gone beyond a single prototype. It's unlikely something more contemporary is coming given one never arrived. This has always been the Buell way. Exhaust one idea until the next one comes along, and exhaust it. Witness the Buell tube frame. The X1 the last of, it's roots firmly placed in the first ever Buell frame design. EBR, its frame design traces back to the first of its kind in the XB9, which incidentally Erik drew years before it ever saw production. Not a criticism, but EBR does not strike me as a company with the willingness to do what Kawasaki have done in this instance. For Kawasaki to rape themselves of everything at their disposal to design and build a bike like this is something special from a mass produced manufacturer. We've yet to see Buell do similar despite being under the curtilage of two of the worlds largest manufacturers. Fine if EBR don't want to, But one has to wonder why they continue to languish almost in the sense they're flogging a dead horse they keep pumping vitamins into. This when they have at their disposal one of the greatest motorcycle engineers alive today and the worlds largest motorcycle company owning half his arse. And one assumes, untold wealth at their disposal should someone be bold enough to dip into the bag and use it. What Kawasaki are doing here is what Buell, and now EBR, should have been doing for years. More so now EBR is also Hero. Why the wait? Don't they want to?But hey this is about a Kawasaki, and what looks like a damn fine one at that. My only criticism thus far is I'm now 53 and could not do one justice unless a shed a few pounds and maybe a few brain cells. Just my opinion. Rocket in England | ||
| Blake |
We'd be far better served by a lightweight 130 HP turbocharged 650 twin or triple configured for a wide power-band, similar to Saabs approach to the 9-3 engine. Everytime I drive Michele's car, I'm impressed by the performance of that 2L turbo. It has surprisingly good low-end grunt. | ||
| Johnnylunchbox |
Blake, like this one:  I'd be all over this. "At the heart of this prototype is a newly developed, 588cc, water-cooled, parallel twin with a turbocharger and intercooler tucked beneath the shapely fuel tank. Turbocharging is a simple concept. A small turbine, driven by exhaust gases, force-feeds pressurized air into the combustion chamber to boost power. Forced induction hugely increases the power-per-liter equation. Here Suzuki claims 100 hp at 8,000 rpm and a remarkable peak-torque figure of 74 pound-feet at 4,500 rpm. These numbers suggest ample power spread across a broad rev range, which would make this a fast and easy-to-ride machine." | ||
| Chauly |
Or this one? https://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoramic/watch-an-o ld-mk1-volkswagen-golf-school-a-1-300-hp-nissan-gt -r-193539580.html | ||
| Rick_a |
Depends on the perspective. The EBR bikes are what Erik wanted to build all along. There's plenty of choices out there. After listening to people speak of what Buell should have "built for them" for decades GET SOMETHING ELSE or build one yourself. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
similar to Saabs approach to the 9-3 engine. Not their best engine since GM swapped Saabs long running development from the original 1750 Triumph engine to that of the German derived Opel Ascona engine. The approach to how and what they get out of the engine is a different matter. Saab's expertise with turbocharging being the key. Whatever engine is fancied for a motorcycle I've no problem singing the praises of an across the frame four with a supercharger. What Kawasaki have done is brilliant. I bet that's a great bike to ride. Doubt there'll be a sit-up and beg streetfighter version though! Rocket in England | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Depends on the perspective. The EBR bikes are what Erik wanted to build all along. Have I implied otherwise? There's plenty of choices out there. After listening to people speak of what Buell should have "built for them" for decades GET SOMETHING ELSE or build one yourself. I have thanks. I've built several bikes over the years. More than several if I were to include my years as a motorcycle mechanic. As it is I took Erik's wonderful creation and made it. No sorry that's wrong. I continue to make it the best example around. It's nearly finished - after 16 years. Or maybe it isn't. There's always something to change, though I had hoped to have run out of things to so I could stop spending and stop pissing about with it. But then I am attempting to turn gold into platinum. Something I'd never done with a bike to this extent before. Rocket in England | ||
| Sifo |
The EBR bikes are what Erik wanted to build all along. Probably close to what he would have wanted to build a bit over 5 years ago. At this point, I would guess that he would agree the the electronics package isn't up to matching the competition. Not meant as a criticism, but what engineer or business owner is ever really happy with what they are currently doing? They are constantly wanting to do better. There are usually many reasons why they cant achieve that today though. For me, my XB12 will probably be the favorite bike I will ever own. I just don't see ANYONE doing something that speaks to me in the same way. I don't think Buell would have built that bike if not somewhat forced by HD with their engine design. IMO, one of the best bikes that never should have been. | ||
| Torquehd |
Johnnylunchbox, I don't know where you found that image, but it is beautiful. It aint perfect, but it's the best looking metric bike I think I've ever seen. If only it were real. | ||
| Rick_a |
 With the Japanese, the concepts are always abandoned for something with a more universal appeal...  ...or just watered down.  
Well, the days of hoping for an S1 super are long dead, my friend. It's a bit silly to continue lamenting. You can have that stealth fighter looking stuff. It's a bit too much for me. That's a compromise between aero and styling, as most are these days. Then again, all these superbikes are a bit out of my tastes, anyway. I'm quite happy with fast enough. I do applaud Kawasaki for something different, if anything. As polished as the bikes look in pictures, in person there are many compromises made for ease of production and to keep prices reasonable. This one's just not the typical cookie cutter. | ||
| 86129squids |
WANT THE SUZOOOK BAAAADDD. One of my alltime fave dream bikes was the XN85- when I was still on my first bike, a TS125 "R" (I'd cafe'd it out and stuff), my Suzuki dealer had one on the floor- and it just SAT, and SAT... they kept dropping the price too. I schemed like mad trying to figure a way to buy it. Even back then I knew "what it was", how rare and such! Finally some douche bought it and wadded it less than a month later...  Oh well. | ||
| Rocket_in_uk |
Well, the days of hoping for an S1 super are long dead, my friend. It's a bit silly to continue lamenting. Oh right. So I'm silly now for saying "this is how I'd hoped Buell might have built an S1 at some point". Pardon me for commenting. What I did was offered a retrospective comment as it seemed relevant to a contemporary design of motorcycle was all  Rocket in England | ||
| Firemanjim |
Got an XN-85 sitting here at shop along with a CX-500 Turbo--- headed to my friend's in Aus to go along with his 2 Turbo Secas. | ||
| 86129squids |
No Way!!! What, aint he got any GPz750 Turbo's to throw in there? Or, that eaaarrly factory KZ turbo? BIIIG $$$.... Dang. Ask your buddy if I can haz that Suzuki phleeze... | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
| ||
| Rick_a |
The most impressive thing there was the old ad  | ||
| Jaimec |
If they REALLY wanted to capture the essence of the original H2, they'd've designed it around a woefully inadequate frame to wrap around that engine. Maybe replace the brake pad material with WOOD for extra authenticity... |
